


Fall Out Boys

by kimpotato



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Friendship, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soul-Searching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:48:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28408008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimpotato/pseuds/kimpotato
Summary: They laugh, they cry, they fall. They live.
Kudos: 7





	1. Minhyun: Thnks fr th Mmrs

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Fall Out Boy songs.  
> The result of a headache.  
> Updates will be erratic.

_I’m looking forward to the future but my eyesight is going bad_

“Where do you see yourself five years from now?” Minhyun asks, one cold evening before winter break starts.

“Still making music,” Dongho answers, not missing a beat. His bags are already packed, his plane ticket to Jeju on his study table. “Why do you ask?”

Minhyun shrugs, neatly arranging the rest of his clothes in his luggage. “Haven’t really thought of what I’ll do after graduation.”

“We’re only in our second year,” Dongho shrugs. “You still have plenty of time to decide. Are you worried?”

“Just tired, I guess. Haven’t been sleeping well these days.”

This sets a frown in Dongho’s usual cheery face. “That’s unlike you.”

“Is it?”

“You’ve always been so stable, even when things get tough,” Dongho explains. He notices for the first time the dark circles under his roommate’s eyes.

“Do I?”

Dongho gets up from his bed and walks over to his friend’s. He sits on the floor beside Minhyun’s luggage and gently tugs on the other guy’s sleeve. “You okay?”

“You know me,” Minhyun forces a smile. “I’m always okay.”

_It’s always cloudy except when you look into the past_

Dongho leaves early the next morning, bidding Minhyun goodbye as he hitches his backpack on his shoulder. “See you next spring.”

Minhyun waves back, offering his usual thin smile. “See you next spring.”

His phone rings then, and he sighs when he sees who is calling. “Noona,” he greets.

“Hyunnie,” his sister Sujin answers from the other end. Static adds cracks in her voice. “You’re coming home today, right?”

“I’ll be heading to the station in a bit.”

“Okay, let me know what time you’re arriving so I can pick you up.”

“I can take a cab home, Noona.”

“It’s all right,” Sujin replies. “I have the whole day off today.”

“Okay. See you in a few hours.”

Minhyun drops the call, drops his head to his chest. He isn’t looking forward to spending Christmas break in Busan, but he doesn’t think it’s wise to spend the holidays alone in the dorms either. He’ll just have to suck it up for a few weeks. Springtime will come soon enough.

_And I want these words to make things right_

“Hwang Minhyun!”

Minhyun pauses midstep and turns to find Mingi, a coursemate, jogging up to him.

“You headed to Busan, too?”

Minhyun eyes Mingi’s baggage and nods. “You?”

“On my way to the station. You want to split the cab fare?”

Minhyun nods, and starts walking again, Mingi falling into step beside him.

“Are you excited to go home?” Mingi asks, ever the conversationalist. Normally Minhyun is, too, except that he’s also a bad liar and he doesn’t think it’s appropriate to tell his, what? —Colleague? Friend? — that he’s stressed shitless to go home for the holidays this year.

And so he evades the question, throwing it back to his companion.

“I can’t wait to see my grandparents,” Mingi discloses. “I just spoke to grandpa yesterday and he said we’ll go to the hot springs next weekend.”

Minhyun affords a small smile. “Sounds fun.”

Mingi continues to chatter in the cab, all the way to the station. Minhyun doesn’t mind — he likes Mingi, likes his energy, likes the way he fills up the empty silence he would have had to face on his trip home. With Mingi as his travel companion, at least Minhyun doesn’t have the luxury of worrying about how to face his family later that evening.

_One night and one more time, thanks for the memories_

Sujin is already waiting at the station by the time Minhyun and Mingi’s train arrives. The older Hwang offers Mingi a ride, but the perky Fine Arts major politely refuses, opting to ride a cab instead.

“He seems nice,” Sujin comments when they are in the car. “I’m glad to see you’re making new friends.”

“He’s more of a colleague, actually,” Minhyun clarifies.

Sujin hums. “You used to be friendlier, back in high school.”

“I do have friends at uni.”

“I didn’t say you don’t.”

Minhyun stares out of the car window. “Everything’s the same here.”

“There are changes, of course,” Sujin answers. “Nothing major, but nothing really stays the same either.” She pauses. “You should know that better than anyone.”

Minhyun grimaces. “Hey, we don’t have to be home till dinnertime, right?” he asks. “Can we drive around town first?”

If Sujin suspects anything, she makes no mention of it. “Sure. You want to go to our usual cafe? They’re still serving that grapefruit ade you’re obsessed with.”

Minhyun cracks a smile and rests his head against the backrest of his seat. “Drive on.”

**End of Part 1**


	2. Jonghyun: The (After) Life Of The Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like I only update this story whenever I'm sad or angry or upset.

_I’m a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart_

“You sure you don’t want to go to the station together?” Mingi asks, hand already on his luggage.

From his bed, Jonghyun mumbles something incoherent. His best friend and roommate of two years walks up to him and pokes his belly.

“You want me to wait for you?” Mingi offers. “I can take the later train to Busan.”

For a second Jonghyun considers it, dares to hope. All he needs is a few more hours — just enough to lift his spirits, to convince himself that he is okay.

He quickly deflates when he remembers how excited Mingi is to go home and see his grandparents.

“I’m fine,” he responds instead. “You better get going before you miss your train.”

Mingi looks at him worriedly. Jonghyun tries his best to show his usual smile. Maybe it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. But this numbness is something he needs to face alone. Mingi has already done enough the past semester to help him out.

“I’ll see you next spring,” Jonghyun ends their conversation, playfully kicking Mingi on the leg to send him off. His best friend whacks him good-naturally on the arm. “See you next spring,” Mingi finishes, flashing Jonghyun one final look of concern, before he hurries out the door to catch his train.

_Blood cells pixelate and eyes dilate_

_And the full moon pills got me out on the street at night_

Two hours later, Jonghyun finds himself staring in the mirror. His eyes are bloodshot, as if he hasn’t slept in days. He’s sure he has, except that he’s been dreaming less and less. The rare occasion that he dreamed, it was filled with dark, scary things.

Jonghyun knows that if he doesn’t get moving, it will take longer for him to get home to Gangwon-do. But he hasn’t even packed yet, and he just can’t seem to find the energy to start fixing his clothes and other stuff.

Despite this, Jonghyun _wants_ to go home. He misses his family, misses his mom and dad and his two older sisters. But no amount of longing could make him leave the dorm room he shared with his best friend.

“I’ll go home tomorrow,” he promises himself, and then crawls back to bed, not even bothering to eat when suppertime rolls in.

_Put love on hold, young Hollywood is on the other line_

His phone rings in the morning, jolting him awake. Jonghyun grabs it from his bedside, stares at the screen, and pauses. For a second he wonders if it’s okay to leave it unanswered.

But his phone rings a second time, and Jonghyun knows there’s no getting out of this.

“Eomma,” he mumbles in the phone, feigning innocence. As if he didn’t just miss the last bus going home yesterday.

“Jonghyun-ah,” his mother’s voice travels into the airwaves. She sounds concerned. “Are you okay? We were expecting you last night.”

“Aa,” Jonghyun answers. “I had to finish some requirements before I could leave. Sorry I didn’t call.”

“Requirements before winter break?” his mother clarifies. “Isn’t that a bit too much?”

Jonghyun fakes a laugh. “I’ll catch the bus later,” he promises. “See you, Eomma.”

“You take care now, okay?” his mother gives one final reminder before she ends the call.

Jonghyun remains in bed one hour, two hours, three, after it.

_Singing songs that could only catch the ear of the desperate_

Jonghyun stares at his phone as he lays down his dorm bed. It is now 6:08 P.M. Another day wasted in bed. How many times have he even eaten today? He fails to remember.

“I’ll go home tomorrow,” he convinces himself, singing the same old song he’s been singing since two days ago. He owes it to his family, who’s been waiting for him for days. To Mingi, who already postponed his trip for a day just to stay with him while he tried to sort out his feelings — or lack thereof. To himself, who’s been suffering in silence for months for a reason he cannot even explain.

“Tomorrow,” he repeats, and then rolls to his side and again drifts to sleep.

**End of Part 2**


End file.
